Chapter Harpings to Hash of H by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Harpings to Hash

Harpings
(Harp"ings) n. pl. (Naut.) The fore parts of the wales, which encompass the bow of a vessel, and are fastened to the stem. [Written also harpins.] Totten.

Harpist
(Harp"ist), n. [Cf. F. harpiste.] A player on the harp; a harper. W. Browne.

Harpoon
(Har*poon") n. [F. harpon, LL. harpo, perh. of Ger. origin, fr. the harp; cf. F. harper to take and grasp strongly, harpe a dog's claw, harpin boathook (the sense of hook coming from the shape of the harp); but cf. also Gr. "a`rph the kite, sickle, and E. harpy. Cf. Harp.] A spear or javelin used to strike and kill large fish, as whales; a harping iron. It consists of a long shank, with a broad, fiat, triangular head, sharpened at both edges, and is thrown by hand, or discharged from a gun.

Harpoon fork, a kind of hayfork, consisting of bar with hinged barbs at one end and a loop for a rope at the other end, used for lifting hay from the load by horse power. — Harpoon gun, a gun used in the whale fishery for shooting the harpoon into a whale.

Harpoon
(Har*poon"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Harpooned (-p&oomacnd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Harpooning.] To strike, catch, or kill with a harpoon.

Harpooneer
(Har`poon*eer") n. An harpooner. Crabb.

Harpooner
(Har*poon"er) n. [Cf. F. harponneur.] One who throws the harpoon.

Harpress
(Harp"ress) n. A female harper. [R.] Sir W. Scott.

Harpsichon
(Harp"si*chon) n. A harpsichord. [Obs.]

Harpsichord
(Harp"si*chord) n. [OF. harpechorde, in which the harpe is of German origin. See Harp, and Chord.] (Mus.) A harp-shaped instrument of music set horizontally on legs, like the grand piano, with strings of wire, played by the fingers, by means of keys provided with quills, instead of hammers, for striking the strings. It is now superseded by the piano.

Harpy
(Har"py) n.; pl. Harpies [F. harpie, L. harpyia, Gr. "a`rpyia, from the root of "arpa`zein to snatch, to seize. Cf. Rapacious.]

1. (Gr. Myth.) A fabulous winged monster, ravenous and filthy, having the face of a woman and the body of a vulture, with long claws, and the face pale with hunger. Some writers mention two, others three.

Both table and provisions vanished quite.
With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard.

Milton.

2. One who is rapacious or ravenous; an extortioner.

The harpies about all pocket the pool.

Goldsmith.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) The European moor buzzard or marsh harrier (Circus æruginosus). (b) A large and powerful, double-crested, short-winged American eagle It ranges from Texas to Brazil.

Harpy bat (Zoöl.) (a) An East Indian fruit bat of the genus Harpyia having prominent, tubular nostrils. (b) A small, insectivorous Indian bat — Harpy fly (Zoöl.), the house fly.

Harquebus
(Har"que*bus Har"que*buse) n. [See Arquebus.] A firearm with match holder, trigger, and tumbler, made in the second half of the 15th century. The barrel was about forty inches long. A form of the harquebus was subsequently called arquebus with matchlock.

Harrage
(Har"rage) (har"raj; 48) v. t. [See Harry.] To harass; to plunder from. [Obs.] Fuller.